End of preview

This is an unformatted preview. Sign up to view the full document

End of preview

Discuss the influences on the development of the Panzer arm March 2004 The work submitted is my own work all material I have used from other sources has been referenced with footnotes Discuss the influences on the development of the Panzer arm Before looking at the British influences on the Germans we must ask the question who exactly in Germany created the Panzer arm Hitler War Minister Bloomberg the Head of the Ministerial Office Reichenau and the Armys Commander in Chief Fritsch either supported or were sympathetic to the creation of large armoured formations The overall responsibility fell to the Chief of Armys General Staff General Ludwig Beck According to Guderian he was conservative and had no modern understanding of modern technology and objected to the idea of Panzer formations larger than brigades or to the strategic employment of armour Erich von Manstein who as the head of the operations branch and then deputy chief of the general staff presented his chiefs case and his own against Guderians charges Manstein described Guderian as The man who is rightly regarded the creator of the German Panzer armNobody familiar with the development of this question would dispute that without Guderians tenacity and combative temperament the German Army would not have had the Panzer arm upon which its success in the first war years largely rested Manstein argued that Guderian saw only the Panzer arm but the general staff had to consider the whole army He further argued that in contrast to the enthusiastic and impatient Guderian the chief of the general staff could not responsibly commit the Germany army to revolutionary armour doctrine and organisation before these were fully tested and proven in exercises and manoeuvres Manstein pointed out it was Beck who after sufficient evidence had been gathered ordered the creation of the first three Panzer divisions and combined them in strategic roles in operational

@Kibin is a lifesaver for my essay right now!!

- Sandra Slivka, student @ UC Berkeley

Wow, this is the best essay help I've ever received!

- Camvu Pham, student @ U of M

If I'd known about @Kibin in college, I would have gotten much more sleep